How do I back up the DRM licenses from CableCard Recordings if either (a) I
want to reformat my system and have the recordings still play or (b) want to
move all of my recordings to a new PC?

Thanks!

You don't.  Both are unsupported.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

That seems like a major issue that is glossed over support wise.

Any public word if the DirectTV HDPC-20 recordings will suffer the same fate?

i couldnt imagine the DRM being any different. 

I dont understand where people get this delusion that the media companies would even allow directv to implent recordings that didnt have a similar level of DRM that exists on cablecard.

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Marvin on Disapproving Rabbits

Especially considering these restrictions don't come from the cable companies or DIRECTV, but from the content providers--and they are the same no matter how you get your premium HDs.

Everyone is always looking for a hand out.

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Vista Ultimate Media Center | (2) DirecTV D11 IRDs | FusionHDTV OTA tuner | (2) Linksys DMA2100 Extenders | Xbox360 Elite Extender

xziTony:

Especially considering these restrictions don't come from the cable companies or DIRECTV, but from the content providers--and they are the same no matter how you get your premium HDs.

Everyone is always looking for a hand out.

Agreed. I think many people are upset about the CableCard restrictions, because they errounously think that they paid for the content and own it in case of cable or satellite recordings, but they don't. The cable bill pays for the access to the content and the content providers grant a license to view the content they broadcast. One doesn't own any content recorded on a DVR. All you have is permission to view it.

To the original poster. Nothing got overlooked here. If you wipe and reinstall your system you don't loose the ability to view future content. All you loose is the access to the content you previously recorded and you never owned in the first place.

Thats a little high handed to say.  For premium channels I understand, however for analog channels and unencrypted broadcasts I dont see why it cant protect what it needs to and not anything else.

Even on Vista without cablecard, on all those analog channels and ATSC recordings we can access and reencode for the go on a video player.. or play it on another computer etc, etc......  We just want what we have had for the last 30 years since VCR's came out.....   Im a little confused how something I was doing for the last 30 years just became me "wanting a handout", I always thought it was "fair use"

I see your side of the argument as well... but it comes down to the fact they are locking down what has never been locked down before.  As long as I am using it for personal use I dont see why not... but that is the real problem.. they lock it down for everyone for the few who post crap on the net etc.......  Which of course doesnt work.

I realize it isnt going to change... taht is not the point of my post.  My point was that to attribute greed and "looking for a handout" is completely outrageous.

As far as the original post they are right.. nothign was hidden here..... I was fully aware of the limitations when I bought my cablecard pc.  There are faqs about it all over the web and on here as well.

dlawson there are ways but they don't work very flawless if at all.

Basically cablecard encrypts everything even if you could get it off analog before unencrypted. That was the stipulation of media center and cable card. They are the only ones that protect everything as tivo only protects what is has to (premium channels) others can be shared with tivotogo no problem.

 

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Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

I dont have a problem with the fact you cant do it.....  I dont agree with the reasoning.. but Im not fighting it.... 

I just had issue with the fact that someone expressed suprise at the fact you cant do it (which is common sense if you dont keep up with this stuff), and was basically told he had a character flaw and wanted somethign for nothing......  Not in so many words... but thats how it came out to me and I got annoyed enough to respond to it.

I personally have a second media center to record normal channels if its something I want to keep, and as a backup to my cablecard pc just in case it flakes out (only happened once so far).  If its on a digital channel I deal.. .if I want it bad enough Ill buy the dvd.....

dlawson12,
I'm not disagreeing with you and I'm not disputing that perhaps media center goes to far in protecting the content and not allowing it to be transfered to devices in the same household like portable media players and other PCs. I actually like what Tivo did. I forgot what it's called, but they give you a unique key that identifies your household. As long as you have the correct key, you can play the content. I don't know how it works with premium HD content as my last Tivo was a Series 2, though.

I'm not happy with the current situation, but I think a lot of the arguments are distored. Even with bringing up the VCR argument we have to be careful. Never in the past were we able to make perfect recordings. Standard definition is watered down and gets even more watered down if recorded on a VCR. Today you can make a perfect copy of the digital HD stream. Is that really the same that we have been doing for the past 30 years?

I don't know what the ultimate solution for this is. I don't think the current solution works, but I see why content providers want to protect their bread and butter. It will take time, but I think we will eventually find a middle ground.

It surprises me that there isn't any way to back this up, but I don't think it's a big deal. Just re-record it again, or if it's not on again, the just download it from the Internet.

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Ben
How good can it be, if it isn't HD?
Engadget HD

bjdraw:

It surprises me that there isn't any way to back this up, but I don't think it's a big deal. Just re-record it again, or if it's not on again, the just download it from the Internet.

Making a full system backup to a spare disk using imaging tools could work, but you would have to do it often enough to capture update data in the drm folder.

Of course this kills the entire concept of starting with a fresh install.  You could try backing up just the DRM folder....

-D

A windows home server could be a solution, there you go... throw some more money at the DRM problem. :)

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Doug Vanden Berg www.vandenbergstereo.com

trust me, backing up the DRM folder does not work. I've searched far & wide for this, it's just not possible folks, sorry. It's 100% ridiculous & an insult to people that spend that much money. But...Cable companies have to be happy as it basically guarantees you won't be archiving tv shows :-/

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Mike Garcen
TGB Moderator | MissingRemote Editor/Reviewer| Microsoft MVP - Media Center
My MCE Setup

shadymg:

trust me, backing up the DRM folder does not work. I've searched far & wide for this, it's just not possible folks, sorry. It's 100% ridiculous & an insult to people that spend that much money. But...Cable companies have to be happy as it basically guarantees you won't be archiving tv shows :-/

It's doable as long as you never need to do a reinstall from scratch.  You can use Acronis True Image Home to make a identical image of your machine.  However, as the DRM folder is updated, your backup needs to be updated as well. 

So it's really useless except for total disaster recovery.  That and you need downtime to create the clone.

In some ways though, it's not all that bad.  Movies I like, I buy on DVD and rip to disk to watch.  Other televisions shows, I can always re-record.

-D